Action

Words are a good start. Without action borne from those words, sometimes that is all they will ever be. Words can hurt, heal, encourage, deflate, or even instill apathy. Every single person, I believe, has the power to change this world for the better. Some changes will be small, others big, but step by step we can propel ourselves towards being good to each other – to everyone.

Now, I’m not saying writing is a futile activity – far from it as I am a writer myself after all! It is far more powerful an act than simple ink blotches on a page could ever show. We can be immersed in history from ages past. We can be thrust forward into futures yet to be. We can even be transported to places and times that are so fantastical it blows our perception of ‘what is’ right out of the water!

For the most part I never intend to start writing the stories I write. The process usually goes something like this:

• An idea pops into my head from somewhere: reading a book, watching a tv show or a film, having a conversation, or even watching sport.
• My mind runs with it, thinking of all the possibilities for characters, events, obstacles, beginnings, middles, and endings, whether it is set in our world or somewhere else, whether it is based in fact or fantasy.
• I write these ideas down in an adhoc sort of plan OR I simply start writing the story.
• If I’ve written with a pen and paper I put it in my physical ‘Story Ideas’ folder. If I’ve started writing digitally I move it to the appropriate ‘short story’ or ‘novel’ folder in my Google Drive.

It is a fascinating process to be in the middle of. I find this type of writing far easier than intentionally setting out to write a story about X topic for Y reason. (This is also a fine way to do things. See: almost every university assignment every written.)

If I let those initial writings sit and wait forever, and didn’t go back, at least to some of them, I would not finish any stories and I would not share them with anyone. For some ideas, this can be their purpose, to help my mind work through an idea, research a particular topic, or practice different writing techniques. Other stories are so brilliantly beautiful it would be a crime not to flesh them out into a full story ready to throw out into the world!

So far I have not been good at this second part. I let my mind run away with the possibilities of what could be, and neglect to fine tune the ideas my mind and soul have already begun creatively shaping.

Every day I am getting better.

I’ve said many times on this blog, a ‘do’ attitude will help us be productive. At work, in our creative endeavours, playing sport, communicating well, even things as ‘simple’ as deciding what to have for dinner. You can do it.

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Are you a writer? What ideas are you working on at the moment for your latest story/blog/article/recipe/report/assignment?

What parts of the process are stumbling blocks for you?

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We each have strengths and weaknesses. Some overlap and are easy to recognise. Others seem to be unique to us, but we never have to do anything alone.

Keep on keeping on being awesome. PEACE.

Cover photo by nappy from Pexels.